West High Track Meet

Our high school held an open invitation track meet on May 1 for kids of all ages. We signed up Audrey and convinced her jump and race despite her reservations. It was a totally new experience for her and that made her uneasy, but she won third in the 50 meter dash and second in the long jump for her age. We were really excited and she was impressed with her winning ribbons, but still a little mad at us.

March Field Air Show

We drove out to Riverside on May 2 for the March Field Air Show. It was pretty interesting just looking at all the airplanes on the ground, but totally thrilling to watch them overhead doing all their stunts (and killing our eardrums).

Spring Break 2010

Easter Sunday, April 4

Home. We had a delicious breakfast with Nanie and Papa. Audrey and Claire loved their Easter baskets (candy, new T-shirts, bathing suits, sidewalk chalk and bunny ears) then got to hunt for 60 Easter eggs just for them. Then we started packing in earnest and left Torrance around 3 pm. Had dinner in Camarillo (Olive Garden). Made a pit stop at Gaviota – right up against the mountains. It was beautiful – green, raining and smelled to good. It got dark soon after and we drove until about 8:30 when we reached Morro Bay. Checked into Motel 6 and tried to sleep.


Monday, April 5

Morro Bay. Not much sleep for mom and dad made for a tense morning. But we ate our breakfast from the cooler and checked out. Just outside our door Morro Rock loomed over us. We packed up around 10 am and drove the short distance to Morro Rock where we walked and ran, scrambled and climbed through the tide pools and large rocks. A giant man-made shore break created firework-like waves right over us – loud like thunder and beautiful.









Audrey loved navigating the boulders and rocks and said “I LOVE doing hard things!” and wanted to go back for more. Had lunch on the boardwalk – BLT, tacos, hot dogs, cinnamon roll and saltwater taffy.







Played a little at a nearby, nautical-themed park and then left for Monterrey. Claire slept and Audrey watched the world go by quietly. Stopped in King City. Had the best cochinitos ever – fat, delicious and heavy with molasses. A tiny town with tons of pedestrian traffic. Mark said “All the people walking around are freaking me out!”

Arrived in Monterrey around 5 pm. We felt lost in the big city after quiet Morro Bay. Had some so-so Chinese food. Wandered a little then went to our hotel for baths and bedtime.


Tuesday, April 6

Monterrey. Had our breakfast in our room – much better rested today. Dressed and went straight to Dennis the Menace Park. Huge. A real locomotive to climb, slides, tunnels, zip line, maze. Audrey and Claire ran wild and cried buckets when it was time to leave.







Lunch at Chipotle. Rite Aid for Pull Ups so we can quit scolding Claire for wetting her pants. She’s not used to all these strange potties. Found the Monterrey Presidio Museum which is closed on Tuesdays. Found the Maritime Museum which was closed for remodeling. Gave up on museums and walked down Fisherman’s Wharf where we watched seals, gulls and sea lions.



Back in the car and drove to Big Sur. No one threw up but I felt pretty queasy. The kids napped. Made it to Pfeiffer State Park. Had some ice cream and hiked to Pfeiffer Falls – 1 ½ miles round trip, uphill both ways. Turkeys gurbling in the distance. Claire on Mark’s shoulders for most of it, Audrey griping for most of it. I reminded her what she said about doing hard things and she said she didn’t mean this hard.
“My heart is beeping so fast,” Audrey said. Fun hike, no poison oak exposure, thankfully, because it was everywhere. The falls were minor, but pretty. Waterfalls, I mean. Audrey called the tiny stream a river and amused the other hikers around us. City kid she is. Audrey said seeing the waterfall was the most “excitingest” day of her life. Met a nice couple with a 7-year-old boy named Jenner who are our age and retired – no idea how they managed that.















Stopped by the lodge to rest and then back in the car searching for dinner. Had some good sweet potato fries and overpriced chicken. Back in the car around 6:30 or so. Stopped at a beach to watch the sun go down. Beautiful view, pebbly sand, all fun and games until a rogue wave drenched us to our knees. Just glad I got hold of Claire before the wave did. We had to laugh. Too bad Mark only brought one pair of shoes – he says I pack too much.









Back to the hotel for baths and snacks. Went out to Rite Aid by myself to buy a notebook and hot chocolate.
Stepped in dog poop this morning in the HOTEL LOBBY and got so mad they gave me a voucher for a free stay at any Motel 6. The least they could do. Mark tried to cheer me up by offering to take me dog hunting. It worked.
Passed signs today indicating deer, bear and pig crossings.
Big Sur was amazing. So dramatic and a little scary in places. Wish I could be a lighthouse operator for just a week to see what it’s like.

Other good quotes today:
“Are you wearing pants? I’m not!” Audrey to Claire after we got soaked and loaded them into the car without their pants and shoes on.

“I farted.” Claire to the nice lady who took our picture on the trail.

“…help us remember how much fun we had today.” Audrey in her prayer tonight.

Wednesday, April 7

Woke up in Monterrey. On the road by 10 am. Took the 1 toward San Francisco. Stopped at a grocery store for juice and bananas.
Highway 1 was beautiful. We passed fields and fields of strawberries and artichokes and many farms stands. We finally stopped at one because it had a sign that said “jam tasting” and had a slide out front. The port-a-potties made me skeptical but we went inside the farm stand and found a really unique, hugely hippie experience.



Long tables were covered with vintage toys – old foosball, mancala, a small pool table and many others. The kids played. Mark and I sample jam and shared a strawberry truffle and the most delicious blackberry shortcake. All paid for on the honor system – a cash drawer laid out on the counter where you pay and make your own change. The kids went outside and slid – the slide was propped up by hay bales, such an innocent and appealing place – fields all around and the ocean opposite – a lucky find.





Continued on to Half Moon Bay. I was overly starved and hypoglycemic from the shortcake – not a good combination so we stopped at a Mexican restaurant and got take out to eat at the tide pools. The food was extremely good but not improved by high winds and Claire throwing sand. We ate and enjoyed it anyway. Then we looked for creatures in the pools and saw just a few. There were seals on the rocks out beyond us. The ocean was beautiful.
Back on the road to SF. Decided to risk the Tenderloin District for cheap hotel and it was a good decision. We were comfortable.
Went to Union Square for Italian dinner and to a park for the kids. Back to the hotel for some sleep.

Thursday, April 8

Good night’s sleep and up for a day in SF. Had some good pastry from a nearby bakery. Went to the deYoung to see the Amish Quilt exhibit. It was very beautiful. Kids enjoyed the activity room with quilt blocks.



Also went to the Conservatory – very dull – just plants we see every day here in Torrance and a toy train display the kids liked. Ate at the museum café. Drove to the Golden Gate Bridge. I sat in the car with Claire while she slept and Mark and Audrey explored. Took a few pictures when Claire woke up. Had fun remembering our trip there when Audrey was 6 months old and in love with our red flashlight.













After much searching and waiting we got on the Trolley and rode as long as we could. Ate a fabulous dinner at the Contadina Trattoria – soup, bruschetta, ravioli for the girls and pasta and polenta for me and Mark. Stromboli for dessert. It was perfect. Then we drove down Lombard Street – the steepest street in the country.

Friday, April 9

We decided to head home today instead of staying a night in Santa Barbara so we headed straight for Chinatown on our way out. Had some delicious pineapple buns at a terrifying bakery where a toothless woman told me in broken English that the bathroom was “no good” for me to take Claire. I tried not to think about that while I ate my bun. We bought the girls cute little parasols. Then we lost Claire for the longest two minutes of my life. A panhandler approached us and I was distracted for a second and when I turned around she was gone. I was sure the blond-toddler-nappers had got her and started tearing into the two closest stores looking for her - a terrible moment but she turned up, thankfully, and had just kept walking up the street without us when some nice lady turned her around and brought her back. I wanted to cry or spank her but kept it together.

We found a park and let the kids play for awhile and then loaded up and headed out. We stopped by an Italian deli for the best sandwich ever. I ran in and bought food for all of us – cheese sandwiches for the kids, turkey and Swiss for Mark and a roast beef with pesto and baby romaine that was divine.

We then stopped twice in an hour for potty breaks and finally the kids slept. I did too and missed my chance for more cochinitos. We went to Solvang, explored a little and some more iffy Chinese food. And another park with a covered pavilion that was perfect for a little Marry Poppins skit.

We stopped again near Camarillo for snack sand hot chocolate and made it home pretty late. Put the kids right to bed.

It was a wonderful trip and so great to be together. We never thought the kids would do so well on a road trip but they were pretty happy. All the park stops helped and breaking up the driving kept us from getting stir crazy, but also gave us some down time every day that was nice. Claire’s potty training took a hit but she did better and better as the week passed. We couldn’t believe how many great things we saw that we did not even plan for. We felt lucky that the Motel 6s were all clean, convenient and cheap. And that one free night paid for our extravagant meal in San Francisco. I did a good job being easygoing about our lack of planning and ended up really enjoying not having a schedule to follow. Mark did all the driving, but he didn’t complain. It was nice to be home but it took me a few weeks to stop wishing we were still driving across the state, seeing beautiful places and spending all our hours together.

Easter

Our Easter was pretty low key this year. We went to the Eggstravaganza at Good Shepherd Preschool and celebrated Easter Sunday with brunch and our own egg hunt around the house. Nanie and Papa were here to share and the kids got to hunt for 60 eggs - 30 each - maybe a bit much, but it was fun.

A walk at the beach

One April Sunday we took note of the warm temperature and made for the beach. It was a gorgeous night. You can see Malibu in the distance.